SHE IS WATCHING FOR ME!

The picture above was taken by Miley's Mom with her cell phone. Although it is probably quite meaningless to the average on looker, to Papa Burns, this image is PRICELESS!

This Tuesday evening, I was invited to my son Matt's house to have a nice quiet, quaint little Christmas with he, his wife, Jenny, and our only grandchild, Miley. Nanny Burns is in China, so I was feeling a little "solitary" last week and thus far this week, and looked forward to my evening with my granddaughter (and her parents). As I was about one mile away from their town here in Ohio, I received this text from my daughter in law which reads, "She is watching out the window for you!" Tears of joy swelled up in my eyes as I approached their house. "My granddaughter loves me and wants to see me tonight! Praise God" I thought.

I called Miley and let her know I was pulling up. She jumped off the couch and ran to the picture window in their dinning room looking with glee, and believe me when I say, "The smile on Miley's face and the twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes was one of the best Christmas gifts any "Grandpa" could ever get from a two year old! A big thanks to Miley and the rest of my family for making me feel so loved. It was an evening I will never forget! Soon, I'm off to the other side of the world to see the "rest of my family," my youngest son, Aaron and my wife, Coletta. Please pray for a safe flight to China, and our return home. Merry Christmas everyone!

That's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

SCOTTS & BURNS OHIO THANKSGIVING 2009

From left to right: Don and Jenny Scott, Coletta and Jim Burns

The Scotts have been long time friends of ours who are members of the Westside Baptist Church, Hutchinson, KS. This was their first Thanksgiving away from their kids and grand kids. This picture was taken at the Carlisle Village Inn at Sugar Creek, OH. We did not stay here for Thanksgiving, but just before our dinner, we walked into the lobby and had our picture taken together.

I met the Scotts when I was in between churches. I went to Don's place to give him an estimate with a builder on doing dry wall work at the Scott's new country home. (Don't laugh building committee)! Little did I know that I would soon after join the pastoral staff at the Scott's church, and just five years after I met Don and Jenny, I would become their Pastor for the next nine years. When I resigned the church in Kansas in Nov. 1994, the Scotts bought our family Sunday dinner and brought it to our home to cry with us and hug our hearts. What a blessing to still have friends like the Scotts in Kansas and other places around the world. Thank you Don and Jenny for making our Thanksgiving so special this year. Come again! Burns' Bed and Breakfast and Coletta's Kitchen will always have the door open for you and your family!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

Pheasant Hunting 14 Years Later!

Pictured above are: Bill Greene, Matt Burns, and Jim C. Burns.

Last Saturday, I was privileged to go pheasant hunting with my oldest son, Matt and Bill Greene, our former Van Wert Fire Marshall and his dog, Archie. You know time is zooming by when you come home from a day of hunting and calculate that it has been 14 years since I went pheasant hunting with my son, Matt (near Meade, Kansas), and it has been 40 years since I had hunted with a bird dog! Bird hunting is quite different in Northern Ohio compared to Kansas. Here, you buy how many birds you want to hunt, the game bird owner releases the birds in a field (covered in tall wild grass), and it's kind of a "hide and go seek" hunting. It was much more difficult and challenging than I thought it would be. We were in a fifty acre field about five hours, and my gun only went off twice! (I missed). But Bill and Matt got four pheasants between them.

The weather could not have been better, and the real hero of the day was Bill's hunting dog, Archie, who found and pointed out all of the pheasants. It was good exercise, a lot of fun, and a huge blessing to me to have the health, strength, and ability to go walk in a field, enjoy the Lord's great outdoors, and have a friend that would take us and a son that took time out to spend a whole day with his "old man." The pheasants were cleaned out on the field, and Bill gave all the birds to the Burns! The icing on the cake for our day of hunting was to come home to Coletta's kitchen and enjoy a wonderful home cooked meal together.


Thanks Matt, Bill, and Archie for a wonderful day in the great outdoors!

KEDGING

Webster's Dictionary defines "kedging" as: to move (a ship) by means of a line attached to a small anchor dropped at the distance and in the direction desired. An example of this would be if a sailing vessel was near a harbor, and lost wind, a crew member could place an anchor in a safety boat with a rope tied to the sailing vessel, row into the harbor, drop an anchor and "kedge" the sailing vessel into the harbor by pulling it in with the rope. The process of "pulling the ship in" is very difficult, but the reward is the sailing vessel or "ship" comes to you safely in the harbor.

How can "kedging" help you in your personal life? To me, "kedging" to improve my life or the quality of my life would be to find some activity or event that I absolutely love, and do things to make that dream (event or activity) come true. Most of us only get to go on vacation once or twice a year if any. But if you can find something that is an absolute delight for you to do, you can look forward to that event several months in advance. Any of you that are in a high stress situation in your education or work know that if you don't get away from the pressure every now and then, you will likely snap or "burn out."

A dear Pastor friend of mine in Kansas who is now in his 70's loved golfing. Thus he went golfing sometimes twice a week, weather permitting. He would exercise, practice, take golf lessons and meditate on how he could improve his golfing techniques as he would be "looking forward" (kedging) towards his next golf game with other Pastor friends. Although some might criticize my Pastor friend for being out on the golf course twice a week, it was this time of fresh air, fellowship with other Christian men, exercise and "stress relieving" that very likely helped keep him in the ministry for now over 35 years. He is still serving in a church today even in his 70's, relatively healthy, and I might mention, he still golfs!

I do not like to exercise. My "flesh" does not want to get out of bed on a cold, rainy morning, wrap up and go jogging or hit the gym! But I absolutely love to snow ski! If you have ever been snow skiing when you were really out of shape, you know how miserable you were out on the slopes, and how sore your muscles were the week after your ski trip! Thus, as winter approaches, I jog, go to the Wellness Exercise Center in our town, and do aerobics and weight training with my first "ski trip" in mind as I work out! (I don't have a trip scheduled yet, but, I do hope to go skiing sometime this winter)!

It's the "kedging" of the weekly body work out routines that makes my skiing safer and more fun. The side benefit of my "kedging" is that I feel better mentally, emotionally and physically. These three things help me minister better spiritually. All of this "kedging" also helps fight discouragement and some feelings of depression that (yes) sometimes even pastors deal with. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment and well being. It also helps you stay alive and adds much "quality" to your life. (Have you ever noticed that when you get out of town and do something to get you mind off your pressures and problems you come home refreshed and ready to face the battles again)? This is why I believe "kedging" is so important.

So get out there and discover some good, healthy, wholesome fun! Discover an event or activity that you can aim towards and look forward to all year long. From the time you start "dreaming" about that trip, what you do to help reel that trip in is called, "kedging."

I'm Jim C. Burns, and that's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

OUR HOUSE IN OHIO, FALL 2009

This is where Coletta and I live. I took this picture today. When we arrived at Van Wert fourteen years ago, we asked the Lord to give us an old house with trees, on a quiet country road at the edge of town. We bought this home that fall in 1995. It is a block and a half from our old church building, three blocks from downtown on Main Street, across the street from the City's Police Station, Fire Department, and ambulance service! God has a wonderful sense of humor! Under the direction of Mr. Bill Keith, a former trustee of our church with many church members helping, this 115 year old Victorian was turned into an almost completely new Victorian! It seems like the Lord was saying, "Here's your (big) old house and your tree, but, I'm going to save you a lot of gas by putting you close to your church!" We are still only five blocks from our new church!

I'm Jim C. Burns, and that's something to think about!
Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

KERNEL COOPER'S CORN MAZE FIELD TRIP

Papa Burns with Granddaughter, Miley at Kernel Cooper's Corn Maze east of Van Wert. Miley is now 26 months old. She seemed to enjoy her visit to the Maze last Thursday.

That's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

TWO SPECIAL GALS

Our Granddaughter, Miley visited church last Sunday. Here's a picture I took of she and "Nanny Burns" (my wife, Coletta), just before they walked into our new church building for Sunday School. Please pray for Miley as she is recovering from an infection in her foot.

That's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

FALL MEN'S RETREAT A BLESSING!

Perfect autumn weather, cool temperatures, sunshine, great Christian fellowship and challenging Bible sessions made this year's Fall Men's Retreat a special blessing. God used Terry Ginther's testimony Friday night and Jerry Thacker's heart felt and informative challenges Saturday about living with HIV, to help each of us face adversity by the grace of God. We had a total of 27 men from three different churches, and Camp Cotubic, Ohio was the perfect setting. Several men enjoyed sitting around the camp fire for hours while some played hillbilly golf and others went fishing. A few of our men even won a game of horse shoes. The food could not have been better, and we all came home with a renewed desire to life for Christ in the midst of opposition and set backs. Thank you to all the Pastors and church men who helped organize this year's retreat and for all who took time out of your busy schedules to go. We had four men from our church come that had never been with us before on this adventure! It's so neat to see men want to serve Christ and grow in the Lord. This is what it's all about!



That's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

BACK IN THE BIG SKY!

Last Saturday Evening about 5 pm, I was driving out to a new bike trail West of Van Wert to jog off some pounds. It was an absolutely beautiful evening, perfect for flying (and jogging). I called Bill Rager, a Christian (Gideon) pilot friend, to see if by chance he was at the airport. He was finishing his days work, and said, "I will be there in 15 minutes if you want to go up!"

I was driving right by the airport anyway, so, sure! I met Bill and in a matter of minutes, we were 3,000 feet in the sky in his 1969 Comanche 260. Since I had taken some flight lessons a few years ago, and had been flying with Bill before, he let me handle the controls shortly after take off.

We flew East of Van Wert, looked at our local "Corn Maze" (It's Abraham Lincoln this year), then went North towards a small village called Grover Hill to check out several acres of Bill's corn and soy beans to see if any were ready for harvest. What a great night. It also made for a nice "sermon illustration" for the Sunday School Class I taught Sunday. It had been a couple of years since I had been up in a single engine private plane, and I loved it! Thanks Bill for the fun and fellowship. What a blessing to be back up in the Lord's big sky!

That's something to think about.

LABOR DAY AT LAKE MICHIGAN

(Pictured Above: Papa Burns with my little buddy, Miley).

Our son, Matt, daughter in law, Jenny and our granddaughter, Miley came by Van Wert, picked us up and took us to Southern Lake Michigan for Labor Day. The motel manager said he would be glad to take "Buckeye Money," as long as we would not wear red and gray in his motel! It was great family fun and the weather was too cold to swim, but perfect to be outdoors and relax. Sorry no beach pictures of my wife, Coletta, but, she wanted to be the photographer!

Below is Matt and Jenny with a pier and light house in the background.


I'm Jim Burns, and that's something to think about!
Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

AARON BURNS IS 30 TODAY!

(Above, Aaron Burns probably 8 years old).

I stayed up till 2:30 am today (Monday, Aug. 24) to write this Birthday tribute to you. Your Mom and I were up early the day you were born also. We lived in a Mobile home in Lester, WV. Burns boys always come EARLY in the morning! And thus you did. I showered, put on my "preacher suit and tie," and drove your Mom to the Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley. I remember bringing you and Mom home and how proud we were and also how proud your big brother, Matt was to have a "little brother." It was the "olden days" and we had an "old doctor" named "Bliss." He usually wouldn't let the Dad's in for the delivery, but, I begged him, put on the garb and in I went. I told Doc Bliss as you came out, "Wow Wee! I've never even seen a cat born!" And the Doc. said, "Me neither!" Our seven months of joyous bliss was nearly crushed as Jesus led you very near the Shadow of death with meningitis and a semi - coma. But back at good ole Raleigh General, Dr. Concepcion was used of God to bring healing to your little mind and body and our Lord spared your life for something very special.



(Aaron, Christmas, 08).

Being the son of a "Preacher" is not easy, but you have fared it well. From West Virginia to Kansas, to Ohio, the ups and downs, glad times and sad times have molded you into a great Man of God. When we took you to Northland Baptist Bible College in Northern, Wisconsin, our hearts broke to drive off, but it was HIS plan for your life in your education chapter. When I wrote you once to say, "Due to going to a Bible College, you will one day have friends for life around the world." I didn't know Jesus would one day call you to go. As hard as these special times are to be in the U. S. while you are in China for your 30th, I think all in the family and especially you would say, "This is what the Lord's will and plan is for Aaron Jay Burns."

I thank the Lord for how he has spared your life and protected you here and now, half way around the world. Thank you for following HIM, and obeying the Lord when he called you to go. We will make up on the "missed times" later, and one day, probably very soon, we will be sitting at Jesus' feet, soaking in the SON, singing, "It was worth it all."

(Me standing in front of the Hospital where Aaron was born).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Mom and I love you very much. Love, Dad

OUTDOOR BIBLE TIME AT NEW CHURCH!

I love the old chorus we used to sing, "There is Joy in Serving Jesus!" That can be said by about 12 of our faithful children's workers, Coletta and me with today being the final day of our first ever "Bible School" activity at our new facility. Due to the recession here which has really affected our church offerings, we were not able to go all out and have a BIG Neighborhood Bible Time at the Liberty Baptist Church of Van Wert, Ohio this summer. In June, while doing a live prayer time devotion at a Lima, Ohio Christian radio station, I picked up a Child Evangelism pamphlet that had the area director's name and phone number. I gave Rex Eads a call, and immediately, this loving, compassionate, humble servant of God who lives every day by faith loving Kids into the Kingdom, called me back and we scheduled a Five Day Bible Club at our playground just East of our new church. (You can see the East side of our gym and school building we bought in the background of the picture above).

Brother Rex did the drive from Lima every day this week, and was always early with a big smile on his face. We had a total of 32 children enroll, that ranged from 4 to 12. Five Children accepted Jesus this week. Other than rolling out the blue tarp for the kids to sit on and putting up a few chairs and a refreshment table, the rest of us just helped keep the kids in line and were faithful each day for their safety and welfare. Other than Rex's hard work, the other main duty for each day was for some to take turns bringing and serving refreshments at the end of each hourly morning session.

This afternoon as I left the hot playground and ball diamond picking up the tarp and the last table and chair, I whispered a prayer to the Lord today. "Thank you Lord for giving us this property to show the love of Jesus to neighborhood kids. Thank you for placing my wife and I here to serve these wonderful people. And, thank you Lord that even though the plants and crops really need the rain here, you held it off every day to let our church sponsor the 'Outdoor Bible Time' for Kids for the first time since we have purchased this property!"

I'm Jim C. Burns, and that's something to think about!

PS. "Lord, you can give us a down pour now!"

SUMMER AND MILEY HELP ME PRAY MORE

I took a vacation day last Friday to spend the afternoon with my wife and our only grandchild, Miley. After a little trio picnic at a State Park, we joined up with Miley's parents for supper, and returned her to her rightful owners (them). Some people hate winters saying they are cold and dark. Since I'm a snow skier, I love winter. I for one am not much for the "heat" of summer. Seems like the Devil works on me more when it's "hot." He likes "heat" ya know! But being with Coletta and Miley on this hot summer day brought a cool refreshing in my life.

Miley is much like "summer" when it comes to this "pray more thing." She has really done a number on our whole family. Because of this little gal almost "two," I pray more. I know I shouldn't but I worry about Miley. Don't get me wrong, she has two of the best parents a girl could ask for. It's not that. It's just that at her age, she's so "fragile," body, mind, and soul. I worry about how "fast" something bad could happen to her. (How's that for a preacher really TRUSTING GOD)?

A kidnapper? An illness? An accident? Or God forbid that a "pet python" would get out of its cage, crash through Matt and Jenny's window, bite and strangle my granddaughter, like what happened in Florida two weeks ago to a little two year old girl there! (Only the Florida tragedy was a pet in their house)! I didn't sleep much the night I read about that in the news. (Although I will say Matt and Jenny get an A + in keeping Pythons away).

When I pray for Miley's health, safety, and welfare, I can't help but want to pray more for her parents, Coletta, my wife, and also Aaron, our son in China. I know, my boys are adults now, but when you are a parent, and one of your sons drives a work van to repair gas furnaces every day, and the other is walking across a 10 lane street (every day) in a city of 7 million on the other side of the earth, you pray more.

Well good! I need to pray more! Not just in summer and for Miley, but also for my wife, family, other relatives and friends, and also the church where I pastor. So, even though I dislike the summer "heat," it is good for me! It helps me pray more, helps me trust the Lord more, and helps me entrust my family into his care more.

It also gives me great hope. I hope winter will come soon, and I hope I am still healthy enough to strap on my snow skis and take on a couple of black diamond slopes!

So let the summer and Miley help you pray more too. When you do, you see how big God is and can experience the cool refreshing He can bring in your life, even in the midst of the "hot summers" that come year after year.

That's something to think about.

jimmycburns@aol.com

SACRIFICING KIDS ON THE ALTAR OF YOUR SELFISHNESS

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

It's important for me to preface today's article by saying that I am not referring here to staying with a cult or a church ministry that is not Bible based. If you have a pastor or church who is not operating according to the principles of God's Word (the Bible), you need to get out of that mess as soon as possible. What I am talking about is Christ-centered Pastors, churches, and ministries that are living what they preach and who believe in exalting Christ and presenting salvation as a free gift. I'm referring to congregations who strive to live with Godly principles from hearts filled with love for Christ.

The burden of my heart has to do with selfish parents. Parents that are so selfish that if they don't get their way with something they want in the church or, if they have a conflict with another church member they’re leaving! Maybe the pastor "offends them" so the parents drag their "kids" and walk out. “ I got my feelings hurt, so, we're switching churches!" Or better yet, they take the more spiritual route and pull their kids out of church completely and don't go anywhere. I've pastored 4 different churches in 3 different states, and I've seen this more than once, and it's wrong. It's wicked, carnal, and very selfish. Paul the Apostle addressed this type of unchristian behavior this way, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor. 3:3) Now think with me for a minute. Here is a child (let's say she’s a teen) and she loves her church, loves her pastor and family, and is absolutely crazy about the church's youth group and youth director. Her best friends are in her church youth group. She can't wait for the next teen activity, and wouldn't dream of missing teen choir rehearsal. Going to the Camp of the Wilds in July is something Ericka has been dreaming about since she was in the third grade. And then, just one month before the church bus pulls out of the parking lot for North Carolina, her parents rip her from everything that she loves and says, "Come on Ericka, we're having problems with _____ so, we won't be back at Liberty!" Jesus is saying in our introductory text, “Mom, you’d be much better off tying a big rock to your neck and sinking yourself in the lake and dying rather than to follow through with this horrible idea.” This type of divorce leaves scars, pain, and a lot of tears in the lives of children all across America. Most Christian parents would give their right arms to have a girl like Ericka who can't wait until the church doors are open again or the church bus is leaving for the next teen activity or camp, but not you, you're going to show the preacher, the church and the whole town, "we won't be back."

For any parent who is even tempted to think about doing such a selfish act, I have a sermon for you. What are you going to do when in just six months; your kid doesn't want to go to any church at all? She paints her finger nails black and dyes her hair pink. She starts hanging out with her druggie friends and soon after loses her virginity. She picks up a disease from a dirty needle and now, instead of embracing her Bible she is spitting at it. "I'm going to hell and having a party on the way!" is your daughter's new motto. Well Christian Mom, let me say this: You're going to have a lot to answer for when you stand at the feet of Jesus and He reminds you of the time when you should have just sat down with that other lady and got things worked out. You should simply forgive that other church member and be reconciled to your Christian "adult" brother or sister. Wouldn't this be the Biblical approach? Isn't this the right thing to do? So the next time you "don't get your way" at church or have a conflict at your House of Worship, why not be spiritual for a change, love your kids enough to not sacrifice them on the altar of your selfishness. You might be mad now for a gray haired preacher telling you the truth about your selfishness and pride, but one day, if you side up with God on what I'm talking about, you'll reap wonderful blessings with your children rather than bitter tears. It's better for you too. So just stop being so selfish and start growing up! Before you run away from God and the church, think about the horrible long term effect your exit will make on your children.

That's something to think about! jimmycburns@aol.com

NEW LIBERTY CHURCH SIGN!

Pictured above is our son, Matt Burns and his daughter, Miley in front of our new church sign at our new church building. An added blessing is that our son, Aaron in China donated his labor in designing this sign for our church. Due to a special donation, we were able to have our new sign for this year's Easter service. It was a blessing to have our oldest son, his wife, Jenny, and our only granddaughter, Miley with us for Easter.

Below is a picture of the three of them on our front porch right after our Easter services at our church.

OVER 30 YEARS LATER!

From Left to Right: Coletta Burns, Hilda Lubich, Ronna Garcia, and Ron Lubich in Beckley, WV.

My invitation to go back last week to the second church I pastored (Lester Baptist Church) in West Virginia proved to a very emotional and also inspiring trip for both Coletta and me. Pictured above is one of the families that attended the first church I pastored back in 1976 (Coal Marsh Missionary Baptist Church). Ron was the very first "new convert" I was privileged to baptize. His wife, Hilda had attended the church for years, and Ronna and her younger sister, Jennifer Hamilton (not pictured here), were in the children's departments while we were there. The whole family helped baby sit, Matt, our oldest son during his first year of life. This wonderful family is still in a Gospel preaching church being faithful serving the Lord. My next few posts will feature other "young people" who were just kids back in the seventies who are (28 to 30 years later), still in church! Most of those pictured above are dear friends that Coletta and I had not seen in three decades.

What a blessing to finally fellowship with them again!

If you are presently working with kids in the church, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal. 6:9)



This is something to think about!

TWO BOYS BORN IN BECKLY, WV!

On Mar. 24, 1977 our oldest son, Matthew was born at this hospital. On Aug. 24, 1979, our youngest son, Aaron was born at this same hospital. After being away from the Beckley, West Virginia area for 28 years, Pastor Wes Rigdon of the Lester Baptist Church, Lester, WV invited us to come back for me to speak at their church's Anniversary Revival. Please pray for this 4 night meeting at the same church Coletta and I served in from 1978 to 1981. I am typing this at the Econo Lodge Motel, on Harper Road in Beckley, just about 5 blocks West of the Raleigh General Hospital where we took these two pictures today. It is a special time for us to come back where Coletta and I started our first year in marriage, ministry, and where our two special "Burns Boys" were born. What a blessing!


That's Something to Think About! jimmycburns@aol.com

Fireproof at Liberty Baptist - Van Wert

On Sunday, April 19, Liberty Baptist Church, located at 501 E. Third St. (the former Horace Mann school building) in Van Wert, would like to invite everyone to a free public showing of the much talked about movie Fireproof.

Starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, Fireproof is the story of a professional firefighter that is an expert at pulling strangers from burning buildings, but who struggles to save his marriage.

Show time is 6:30 p.m., with free refreshments starting at 5:45 pm. There will be free infant and childcare provided.

For more information, contact Pastor Jim C. Burns at Liberty Baptist Church at 419.238.2273, or access the movie’s website at www.fireproofthemovie.com.

ROOF TOP CHRISTIANITY!

I'm sure by the time you finish reading this blog, you will possibly think me to be "unpatriotic." If you think that, you are wrong. I love the United States and I am proud to be an American. I think our country's assets definitely out way our liabilities. The concern of my heart tonight is more about the churches in the United States verses the horrible degree of depravity that now permeates our nation. Matter of fact, I think if the "Church" of America was what we should be, our country would not be in the sinful mess we are in today.

I have visited nine different foreign mission fields. I have also been to "Pastor's Fellowship Meetings" here in the states where some pastors feel it is our job as U. S. Pastors to go oversees and "tell our missionaries" how to "get the job done!" I think we have it backwards. I think it's time we get some folks from South America and Asia to come to our country and our churches and explain to us "how to get the job done" and how we as "Bible Believing Churches" in the U. S. need to get back to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18 - 20 in the Bible and start doing what the church was founded for. Win Souls to Christ, get people saved, baptize new converts, and disciple these new believers. Honestly, I am tired of seeing people who know better come to church and "pretend." I'm tired of dealing with people who are at church nearly every service, but display no zeal for Christ, no spiritual maturity, and no loyalty to the Bible and to the real purpose for why we are left on earth after we are saved.

Please don't think my "sermon" tonight is all about Liberty Baptist, the church where I serve. I am honored to minister among some of the most loving, dedicated, sincere, transparent, and zealous believers in the world. I love my church and would die for any one of our members. Most of them love the Lord, love my wife and me, and are a great blessing to us. I'm talking about the "American Church." The "Me Church." I could write another thousand words about the huge problems in our churches today, but, let me summarize it up with a recent story I heard from a dear pastor friend in a distant state. His Senior Pastor put out a congregational survey to find out what the church members liked and disliked in order to "improve their ministries." One member shared a complaint that he didn't like the power point slides for the congregational singing, because it didn't have a "bouncing ball" that floated above each word of the song on the "big screen" to help "him" know which word to sing! I'd love to ask that man how many lost souls he witnessed to last week, or even all of last year for that matter. This is what I am talking about. It's not about the computerized "singing bouncing ball" my friend. It's about Jesus Christ dying for your sins, and the mandate we have from Heaven to get this message to every one we can while we can. It's about Jesus saving you from Hell and you helping to keep others from going there.

The pictures above and below are real pictures of a church in a distant Asian country that went to a roof top ten stories high, inflated a child's swimming pool to have a baptism for new converts. They couldn't baptize in a public meeting place on Main Street, lest they all get arrested and the new converts taken to prison. These people are paying a price to get saved and to live for Christ. Their question at the end of a worship service is never, "When is that preacher going to stop?" There plea is, "Can you tell us more?"


Maybe we need to get these folks to come down from their roof and come to America and have them "melt our singing bouncing balls" and show us some true "Roof Top Christianity."

If you are a conservative Bible believing Christian and a church member, why not ask yourself the next time you have your little pity party at church, "What in the world does my pity party have to do with Matthew 28 and the Great Commission?"

Oh one other thing. I'm not telling you where this rooftop church is because I want to protect these Asian believers. Even though these believers don't have a church building to meet in like most believers...the Asian people are eager to hear and study God's Word whether it be on a rooftop, at a hotel conference room, in an apartment, or at a park

Think about this for a while and let's get some "Roof Top Christianity" back in the U.S. Church of today!

Jim C. Burns Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

GOING BACK TO LESTER FOR REVIVAL!

Gal 6:9) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)
Well, I guess I'm kinda in the "car mode" for my recent blog posts. I couldn't find any old pictures of the first new car Coletta and I ever bought together, so, I found this one on the Internet. It's a 1977 Mercury Monarch. Only the one we bought was metallic royal blue with a white vinyl top. We bought it at a Ford dealer in Hinton, WV, and drove it home to Glen Daniel. About a year later, the Lord led us to resign the Coal Marsh Missionary Baptist Church to move over the "holler" to accept the call to minister at the Lester Baptist Church in Lester, WV. (Don't worry. The photo above was not our parsonage)! We were honored to serve the good folks at Lester from 1978 to May of 1981. Those were wonderful days. Matt was about one year old when we moved, and our second son, Aaron, was born while we were at Lester on Aug. 24, 1979. We were able to see the church grow, see many souls saved, and see two children's departments and a teen department start in the church, plus, we were at Lester when the church broke ground and built a new building on a hill at the West end of town right at the edge of Highway 54.

A few weeks ago, Lester's new Pastor Wes Rigdon called me to ask if Coletta and I would return for a four day revival which will take place during the church's anniversary. I have accepted Pastor Rigdon's invitation to come speak, and Coletta and I are so honored after these 30 plus years to go back to the second church where I have pastored to be a part of this special event. Please pray that the Lord will use us to help this dear pastor and his family and this fine church reach more people for Christ in their mission field.

"Thank you Lord for letting Coletta and I serve you together all these years, and for the privilege of being invited to go back to a church where we served 30 years ago for a revival meeting."

MY TREE FELL ON PAUL'S CAR!

Last night, after a couple of late meetings after Awana at the Liberty Baptist Church of Van Wert, Ohio, My wife and I turned out the lights, set the alarm, and locked the church doors. We faced rain and severe wind as we jumped in our Dodge Mini-van, went through the McDonald's drive through, and drove home. As we entered our alley drive way, Coletta hollered out, "Jim, stop! There's a tree down!" I nearly hit the electric line, pulled out, parked in front of our house and went in our front door. I looked out our window and noticed that our tall pine tree between our house and the alley had snapped, blew over and landed on my neighbor's Buick. Part of the tree was also on their back porch. Sorry Paul and Linda.

The good news is that this morning a church member and three friends and neighbors helped Paul and me get the tree off the car, and cut the wood up with two chain saws. Paul's car is scratched up and dented, but thank the Lord, no broken glass. The city was quick to free the power line (it ended up being a large phone line), and cleared the alley, as the phone line was stretched across Main Street, and one pole across Main was so bowed I thought it would break. The police closed our block of Main Street until the phone line was raised. Thanks for the help every body! Thank God, no one was injured or killed.

Jim C. Burns

AN AMISH PLACE TO REST!

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." (Mark 6:31)

Above is a photo of me and our Scottie Dog, Cabbie in front of the Glenhaven Cabin near Sugar Creek, Ohio. (Cabbie stayed in our mini-van in a cage. No pets allowed)! Coletta (my wife) took the picture. We were first introduced to Glenhaven Cabin by Dr. Jim Anderson from Kansas City, who stayed here for a week while preaching a Bible Conference at The Valley View Community Church. The cabin was built about 12 years ago and is owned by a fine Christian couple, Glenn and Esther Troyer. The Troyers live at their nearby farm, and Glenn has also driven a truck. They have become dear friends to us. Although we live in N. W. Ohio, my wife and I love to visit Amish Country in Eastern Ohio. Experiencing a sample of the slow peaceful lifestyle of the Amish and the area's Mennonites and seeing the beautiful rolling hills, farms, and trees near Sugar Creek is tranquil as well as breath taking. Our most recent trip here was blessed with our oldest son and family, Matt, Jenny, and Miley coming to join us for one night and the next day at the cabin.

Glenhaven has become our "home away from home." When Coletta and I become mentally, emotionally and spiritually drained in helping people who are hurting or struggling in their lives, or when we simply become physically drained from the demands of the ministry, we often go to Glenhaven. After visiting Ohio's Amish Country usually two or three times a year over the past 12 years, we have discovered some of our "secret and favorite places" off the main beaten paths that have become great "memory making spots" for the two of us. It is just a peace of Heaven. Both Holmes County, the Sugar Creek area, and just hanging out and relaxing at Glenhaven has always drawn Coletta and I closer to the Lord and each other. So whether you are in the ministry or not, give Glenn and Esther Troyer a call (877)852-4039 and do as Jesus commanded his disciples. "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while."

I'm Jim Burns, Pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio, and that's something to think about! Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

Three Special Church Friends

Page Kittle holding her two little buddies, Lottie Shartzer with our granddaughter, Miley Burns. I snapped this photo just before the strike of midnight at our Church's New Year's Eve Party at 501 E. Third Street in Van Wert, Ohio. What a trio.

I'm Jim C. Burns, Sr. Pastor at the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio, and this is something else.

jimmycburns@aol.com

SO LONG SON, THANKS FOR COMING!

Jan. 7, 2009 - For the 5th time, I put my youngest son on a plane for him to return to the other side of the world. Aaron Burns has served in Southern China now for 5 years. It never gets easier, but, God gives Coletta and I special peace in the midst of our sadness. We know this is where God wants Aaron, and where Aaron wants to be. He loves the people and the culture of China. He flew today from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Denver, then L. A. then Tokyo, and will land in Hong Kong. As I write this, Aaron Burns is 30,000 plus feet somewhere over the Pacific. Some might ask, "How can he have the strength to do this and how do his parents give him up?" First let me say that with Email, free phone calls and an occasional "web cam" that certainly makes it better! Secondly, God's will is always the very best place to be, and yes, even though it's always hard to say "good bye," it is a joy knowing that Aaron is right where HE KNOWS God wants him to be. He has tons of Chinese and American friends in Dongguan City, and also in Hong Kong. Being single, he is free to travel more than if he were married, and Aaron has been places that most people would only dream of going. He has friends around the world, literally, and is as happy as any married man with a dozen kids could ever think of being! You can click on Aaron's blog (upper right corner of the screen) and keep up with his work in China. Please pray for him as he travels and ministers in a city of 7 million people. "Aaron, it was so good having you home for the Holidays. Thanks for coming. Great to have your Brother, Matt and his family home also. Love ya man!"

As painful as going to the Indy airport was for me this morning at 4:45, I can honestly say by the grace of God, "It's all going to be O.K."


I'm Jim Burns, Pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Van Wert, Ohio, and that's "Something to Think About!"

2009 A GREAT NEW YEAR

2009 is going to be a GREAT NEW YEAR! I just sense that God is really going to be good to us this year. Of course, God is GOOD all the time! Above are three special guests that blessed our church and home for our New Year's Celebration. From left to right, our youngest son, Aaron flew in from China, and two of his special friends Eric and Laura Arnason from Lake Orion, Michigan drove down for the Holiday. Yesterday, the Arnason's treated the Burns' family to a special lunch at the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor here in Van Wert. Aaron has been busy helping us design a "coffee shop" in part of our new church lobby for fellowship in between services, and Eric played his guitar and led our songs and testimonies at our Watch night service here at Liberty Baptist on New Year's Eve.

I'm horrible with New Year's resolutions. I start out running the "sprint" with them and fizzle out before the end of January! So, why not make some New Year's Goals this year? See it big and keep it simple. As a Christian and a Pastor, my New Year's prayer and some goals are for me to: a. Have a greater passion for Christ, b. A renewed boldness to share Christ with needy people every week, and c. Honor my wife, family, and church with a renewed dedication. Put your goals on paper and pray over them regularly. Let's bind together to do this, and ask God to give us the strength and endurance to follow through with whatever His will and plan is for each of our lives. Please pray for me as I desire to fulfill my three goals for 2009.

I'm Jim Burns and that's Something to Think About!

Happy New Year!

jimmycburns@aol.com